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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. stem — a stem cell
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. court — for sport
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. court — of a king
  8. wind — moving air
  9. wind — moving air
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. wake — a trail
  15. stem — of a plant
  16. stem — to come from
  17. pound — a weight
  18. wind — to turn a key

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com